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THE chic new Peugeot 208 city car will feature a class-leading infotainment
system and a renewed focus on driving dynamics when it goes on sale on October
19 priced from $18,490 plus on-road costs. , , All variants in the lighter and
funkier new model range – which kicks off $500 cheaper than its 207 predecessor
and climbs to $26,490 for the flagship Allure 'warm' hatch – come standard with
a seven-inch touchscreen unit, Bluetooth streaming and USB/iPod connectivity. ,
, There is, however, one notable absence from the specification list, because
Peugeot Australia has become the first car company to delete the CD player from
one of its models Down Under. , , Available as an optional extra in some
overseas markets, Peugeot Australia director Bill Gillespie told journalists at
the national launch last night that the company made the call to omit the
player around three months ago., , “The statistics say that our intended buyers
(aged between 30 and 40 on average) just aren't buying CDs any more,” he said.,
, “CD sales are halved, and the car has standard USB, Bluetooth and iPod and a
touchscreen that works fantastically., , “I mean, I'm an older person and I
don't have CDs rolling around in my car any more., , “I have an iPhone and all
that stuff, and I think I'm not alone there. It's hardly an issue. In fact, we
don't think it's an issue at all.”, , The Pug's starting price puts it above
the Volkswagen Polo five-door (from $16,990 plus on-roads), but the French
contender offers more generous specification., , The 208 will also face stiff
competition from the new and more comprehensive Renault Clio range due here
later next year. , , Peugeot claims the French-built 208 is the result of its
“most ambitious specification overhaul ever adopted”, and is shorter yet
roomier than the 207 with 285 litres of boot space and 5cm of extra rear knee
room., , Despite its extra technology, the 208 tips the scales from as little
as 975kg – up to 173kg lighter than before. , , All Australian variants bar the
top-line Allure will be sold in five-door guise only (in turn, the Allure is
exclusively three-door), with four different specification levels and a trio of
three- of four-cylinder petrol engine options. , , As we have reported, Peugeot
Australia won't offer a diesel engine on its smallest model. However the tiny
60kW/118Nm 1.2-litre non-turbo three-cylinder petrol engine that powers the
base Active five-door (five-speed manual only) uses a claimed 4.5 litres per
100km – 0.1 better than the old 207 Hdi., , The Active can also be had with a
four-speed automatic transmission for an additional $3000, although the
self-shifter is only available with a larger 88kW/160Nm 1.6-litre engine that
consumes a claimed 5.8L/100km. , , This four-pot naturally aspirated unit is
also available on the higher-specified Allure five-door with a five-speed
manual from $21,990 or four-speed auto (an extra $2000), as well as the Allure
Premium five-door automatic ($26,490)., , Joining the Allure Premium at the top
of the 208 tree is the $26,490 Allure Sport three-door, which features a
warmed-up turbocharged version of the 1.6 with outputs of 115kW and 260Nm, a
six-speed manual gearbox and a feather light 1090kg kerb weight with a full
tank., , This engine hustles the Allure Premium from zero to 100km/h in a
relatively slick 8.1 seconds., , As well as the connectivity system mentioned,
the Active comes standard with cruise control, heated body coloured door
mirrors, 15-inch steel wheels, and power windows, plus an innovative heads-up
instrument binnacle that sits above the steering wheel., , On top of this, the
Allure gets dual-zone climate control, 16-inch alloy wheels, rear parking
sensors, LED daytime running lights, automatic lights and wipers, a colour
multi-function display, sports seats and a leather steering wheel. , , The
Allure Premium gets special cloth trim, glass roof with mood lighting,
cornering fog lights, a chrome-tipped exhaust pipe, gloss black door trim,
tinted rear windows and 17-inch alloys., , The Allure Sport gets half leat
her bucket seats, a blue-lit instrument panel, aluminium gear knob, drilled
sports pedals, unique front grille, chrome tail pipes and rear spoiler. , , All
208s gets six airbags – front, side and curtain – emergency brake assist,
electronic brakeforce distribution and automatic activation of the hazard
lights in a collision. , , As reported, the range will be joined in May 2013 by
hot GTI and luxurious XY variants, the former of which will rock a 147kW
turbocharged 1.6-litre engine and hark back to the famous 205 GTI., , Mr
Gillespie said the brand also had the option of growing the range at the lower
end with the addition of a cut-price entry variant, but cited its traditional
lack of success with base-spec variants in Australia as a reason not to. , ,
The company projects between 1500 and 1800 sales of the 208 for the first full
year – compared with 1268 units for the 207 in the whole of 2011. , , All 208
variants come with Peugeot's three-year/60,000km capped price servicing plan,
with each annual service priced at $270., ,